The present disclosure relates in general to development and analytic tools for use in the health care industry that can be utilized for retrospective processing and analysis of medical information.
Many clinical decisions must be made in the typical course of treating a patient who is undergoing medical care. Oftentimes these decisions affect the overall health and well-being of the patient. Particularly, despite current efforts to apply accepted best practices, it is possible for a patient that receives medical care to suffer from an adverse health outcome. Adverse health outcomes originate in many ways which are often occult (latent potential) in the earliest stages of a clinical care process. Examples include iatrogenesis, nosocomial infections, patient safety procedural failures, as well as the natural unchecked progression of a pathologic process or the simple confluence of untoward effects. Further, an adverse outcome may arise in response to, or as a result of, a treatment or procedure designed to treat a diagnosed condition not directly related to the adverse outcome. The occurrence of adverse health outcomes affects the overall burgeoning cost of healthcare.